If, as Andy Warhol said, "buying is much more American than thinking," then fashion journalist Avis Cardella is one of the most American women you'll ever meet.

When the FBI arrested five-year-old Jennifer Mascia's father in 1983, a family friend soothed her. "It's not real," he purred. "They're making a movie."

Caretaker. Cultural icon. Paid by the hour. The enigma that is the American baby-sitter is explored in all it's endearing/smart/scary/sexy glory in Miriam Forman-Brunell's Babysitter: An American History.

Less an argument against the institution of marriage than a comprehensive history, this is a fun read that's simultaneously cheeky and no-nonsense.

Alice Blackwell is a fictional character: She isn’t Laura Bush, but the veil is thin enough to set tongues wagging in Washington and beyond.